duaneredford.com   "Fear No Water"

Hidy Ho Good Neighbors!

Folks insinuate all of the time that as a fly fishing guide, all I do is stand in the water and bark orders.  Couldn’t be further from the truth.  I often will count my steps on my phone app, and I’m regularly in the six mile range when I guide six continuous hours or more. More often than that, by 9am in the morning, I’ve already sweated through my hat.  Not all days are like that but those of us that wade guide hustle a bit more than folks think.

Guiding is a lifestyle and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I enjoy zipping back and forth between clients, landing fish, teaching, and yes, even untangling leader and tippet explosions. I enjoy the outdoors, sights and sounds, driving to the river with expectations, tying bugs the night before, and battling Mother Nature everyday anew. I enjoy the grind, dipping my hat in the drink because it’s so damn hot, dodging thunder storms, sunscreen burning my eyes, freezing my finger tips, the physical exertion, and the challenge. I like sitting on my tailgate behind the fly shop, guzzling a well-earned beer and smoking my pipe at the end of a long day on the river.

Couple years ago in July, and I remember it as if it were yesterday, I began the day with 3 clients from Ohio. We fished near Wolcott on the Eagle River for about six hours, and had a pretty successful outing with many fish hitting the bottom of the net.  On my way back to the shop, toting my clients, I get a call from one of our managers.  “Hey D, this is so-and-so, got one of your regulars in the shop, he just hit town unexpectantly and wants to know if you can give him four hours this afternoon on the river.” “Ah, sure” I reply, trying to not get my clients involved in the conversation.  “Good, ok”, says my manager and he squeezes in the next words without taking a breath, “Can you hoof it?” “He has late dinner plans for tonight.”  “I’m about twenty minutes out”, I say.

I love doing “doubles”, but I’m rarely prepared for that call.  If I know they’re booked, it’s much easier to transition from trip to trip than finding out last minute.  I had plans, like a nap, maybe go fish a bit, or hang out with my colleagues. No worries, I’ll make this happen, but I have a routine that I like to follow.  I like to re-rig all of my rigs with fresh bugs and tippet the night before my next day trip. I like to go through a physical and mental checklist, I hate to be hurried prior to a trip, and I like to be at least an hour early before a guide trip. In this circumstance, I had none of those. Not only am I a creature of habit, but I’m a bit superstitious…..I have learned to not let this kind of stuff bump me off my game.

I dropped my clients off at the municipal lot down the street from the shop. Knowing my client was waiting for me at the shop, I decided to take a five minute break right where I was, and try to find something to eat and drink.  My cooler revealed I had 4 waters left, one warm beer,and I was out of snacks.  That’s the other thing I was going to do, hit the supermarket for drinks and goodies.  Oh well, I needed to save the water for sure, but I’m thirsty as heck, “Guess I’ll pound the warm beer”, I thought out loud. I dropped the tailgate and took a good guzzle of warm suds. Just then it dawned on me, yesterday I bought a bagel at the supermarket before my trip, “Where did I leave that?”.  I started rummaging through the backseat looking for that blueberry bagel. I reached under the front seat and found pay dirt. Yes, warm beer and a blueberry bagel for lunch!  One of the best lunches I ever had.

Winter spoils

I went out with my client that afternoon and we threw dry flies for about four hours.  Can’t get much better than that. No, guiding is not the toughest job in the world, but it does have its challenges.  Now when someone asks me how my day went, I usually reply, “I was outstanding in the river.”  Ya, I know, guide humor ain’t much, but it’s better than a beer and a bagel.

The Eagle River has been fishing well this winter.  Little shelf ice, clear water and active fish has made for a good start to 2018.  We desperately need snow though, so if you live within 1000 miles of us, send some our way.

Butt Crack Midge for winter.

Humbled to say the book is doing well.  Thanks to all of you who has purchased a copy of Hidden in Plain View.  Review it on Amazon if you’re so inclined, or shoot me a note letting me know your thoughts.  Thanks again!

Fear No Water!!!

Thank you!